Fairer player attacking and plundering

[DeletedUser]

Being plundered never slowed me down any. If you don't like to be attacked you probably shouldn't be playing a war game. Not only should you be advancing tech but you should be getting your great buildings up. If you just want to grow a city there is plenty of non war games that would suit you better. I fit in the example of a lower level player dealing with higher level players and your totally off base. I improved my city all around and no longer get plundered. The problem is most likely is that your trying to rush to the top of tech and ignoring your great buildings. I have not spent a single cent yet so no one has any legitimate excuse to complain. You need to improve your game play and not dumb down the game to make it easier for you to do nothing.

 

[DeletedUser]

PigButcherer, welcome to the forum. I want to say 2 thinks to you:
1. This is not a war game. War games are World of Tanks/Warplanes/Warships.
2. Do not be rude. You have only 1 post. That does not give you rights to be rude.
I prefer to tell you instead of seeing such posts. I am not a Community manager, but I started a post before a few weeks - for players who are rude. You are not evil, but you have only 1 post for now. You can say your oppinion on a different way. Maybe many players will say, I am writing stupid thinks, but I am objective. Nothing personal. Just try to be more...friendly. This is all for now. Continue posting - maybe you have great ideas, but dont use rude language.

 

[DeletedUser65431]

You need to improve your game play and not dumb down the game to make it easier for you to do nothing.

+1

Maybe many players will say, I am writing stupid thinks

+1

 

[DeletedUser99588]

PigButcherer, welcome to the forum. I want to say 2 thinks to you:
1. This is not a war game. War games are World of Tanks/Warplanes/Warships.
2. Do not be rude. You have only 1 post. That does not give you rights to be rude.
I prefer to tell you instead of seeing such posts. I am not a Community manager, but I started a post before a few weeks - for players who are rude. You are not evil, but you have only 1 post for now. You can say your oppinion on a different way. Maybe many players will say, I am writing stupid thinks, but I am objective. Nothing personal. Just try to be more...friendly. This is all for now. Continue posting - maybe you have great ideas, but dont use rude language.

How has pigbutcherer been rude? In fact I find your post to be somewhat rude and have no idea why you mention pigbutcherer has only one post as if that matters.

Pigbutcher has as much right to present an opinion as yourself so please be a little more tolerant of others views.

 

[mrbeef]

I think PigButcherer makes some valid points and I find nothing in his post rude or offensive either.

 

[DeletedUser2989]

This is actually why we have report buttons for every post (the fourth icon on the bottom left of every post, the triangle with the "!"), that way if people find something rude or offensive about a post they can report it and it can be looked at by the moderator team. I won't comment on what I think about the post (that belongs between me and that person anyway), but will ask that in the future can we please avoid posting about weather or not a post is rude and stay on topic.

I know that often it's just players reminding others of the rules of the forums and urging others to be polite but it does drive the thread off topic a fair bit. So please don't take it the wrong way I just want to keep the threads on topic and deal with any potential rule breaches via the reporting system. In fact as the forum moderation team is currently quite small at the moment it's even more appreciated if players can help by reporting posts that break the rules.

Ok so enough of that and lets get back on topic, a fairer plundering system (opinions of "no plundering is fine as it is" are valid). Please respect that some people find the current method unfair in their own way.

 

[DeletedUser100562]

My opinion is that plundering is just a bit too easy.

I don't have any difficulty with plundering being "part of the game". I understand that it is, just like trading, polishing, motivating and joining together in guilds. It irritates me when it is done to me, so I don't plunder others unless they plunder me (or one of mine) first. I do attack other players for points in the PvP. I just never plunder them.

As to the higher players never getting plundered, that might be true at the very top, but I am ranked about 500th in one of my world's and #4 in my Neighborhood. I have been plundered recently. I had my defenses broken in the last 24 hours by the same player and wonder if he is about to plunder me now. If a player isn't being plundered, it probably is due to one or more of three things:
1) they have built up a powerful military force with big bonuses and perhaps are part of a powerful guild
2) they have worked to build up good relations with their neighbors (trade, aid, and other forms of co-operation)
3) they have a lot of luck

My defenses are pretty good. I am not attacked often. There is usually someone about who will be strong enough to break them if they try, and some of them will want to plunder you. It might irritate me, but it seems to make them happy.

I do think that there should be a small offset. I think that a player who attacks and does not triumph should suffer for it. If you retreat, the penalty should be a loss of PvP points for any casualties, and a reward of PvP points to the defender. It wouldn't be much and it would not make a big difference, but it would ease the feelings a bit, I think.

 

[DeletedUser99588]

My opinion is that plundering is just a bit too easy.

Its only easy if players leave resources sitting around ready to be taken otherwise it is difficult and time consuming to plunder. All those that complain have one thing in common. They don't collect on time and sometimes pay the price. Part of the strategy of the game is to overcome these hurdles or at least find ways to minimise them.

 

[DeletedUser15432]

Maybe - stop/reduce plundering threads need to have the 'do not suggest' tag :cool:

I agree, the stop/reduce plundering should be included in those items that have a do not suggest appended to them

 

[DeletedUser12400]

Maybe - stop/reduce plundering threads need to have the 'do not suggest' tag :cool:

I agree, the stop/reduce plundering should be included in those items that have a do not suggest appended to them

I am of the same opinion as you are

 

[DeletedUser100832]

Its only easy if players leave resources sitting around ready to be taken otherwise it is difficult and time consuming to plunder. All those that complain have one thing in common. They don't collect on time and sometimes pay the price. Part of the strategy of the game is to overcome these hurdles or at least find ways to minimise them.

yeah, people have those things called families and jobs.

 

[DeletedUser99588]

yeah, people have those things called families and jobs.

Pitiful excuse for a game like this which can be played with as little as a few minutes a day. If you had 15 minutes you could polivate neighbours, guild and friends and do one fight on continent map.

 

[DeletedUser100562]

Its only easy if players leave resources sitting around ready to be taken otherwise it is difficult and time consuming to plunder. All those that complain have one thing in common. They don't collect on time and sometimes pay the price. Part of the strategy of the game is to overcome these hurdles or at least find ways to minimise them.

Your pardon, but this is too strongly stated. I have seen several posters state that they were there, ready to collect, when a building was plundered before their eyes. Sometimes they say they saw more than 1 building plundered before they could get to it, which argues that there were players sitting on their city, perhaps in co-operation and notifying each other, to time the collection and prevent exactly what you are blaming the city-owner for: collecting in a timely fashion.

Many who plunder seem to want to blame the victim for not being strong enough or fast enough to prevent them from plundering. It is very simple: plunderers plunder when and where they can. It isn't the victim's fault, only his fate.

 

[DeletedUser99588]

Your pardon, but this is too strongly stated. I have seen several posters state that they were there, ready to collect, when a building was plundered before their eyes. Sometimes they say they saw more than 1 building plundered before they could get to it, which argues that there were players sitting on their city, perhaps in co-operation and notifying each other, to time the collection and prevent exactly what you are blaming the city-owner for: collecting in a timely fashion.

If players organise themselves into teams to keep rechecking for resources to be available then they have put a lot of effort into it and deserve any rewards they get. I'm fairly sure the vast majority couldn't be bothered. Most of the time when multiple players from the same guild plunder it is because one has attacked and found something worthy of plundering and then messages others in guild that are in same neighbourhood. Again, if you collected on time then this would be unlikely to occur and if it did only a couple of buildings should be plundered before you manage to collect. It is possible that a bot might be involved when your goods are taken immediately upon becoming available. If you suspect this then notify support.

Many who plunder seem to want to blame the victim for not being strong enough or fast enough to prevent them from plundering. It is very simple: plunderers plunder when and where they can. It isn't the victim's fault, only his fate.

Some of my cities where I do not put the same effort into collections get plundered but I have to say in the main they only get plundered when I have left goods uncollected at the time of attack. It is rare for a player to come back later and plunder. I'm not saying it never happens but only rarely and if they do typically they only manage to find a house.

There are no victims. This is a game where players pit their wits against one another using the options open to them. Sometimes you win sometimes you lose. That is the nature of the game and something those moaning about being plundered should take on board.

Losing does not make you a victim. A crime has not been committed just players playing a game.

 

[DeletedUser102246]

Excessive plundering is the symptom, not the problem. A neighborhood shuffle program that produced balanced neighborhoods would eliminate the worst of the abuses. A player should *NEVER* be placed in a neighborhood with more than 2 level disparities.

Disincentives for "Cheap Wins" would also help. PvP points should drop dramatically if the Attacker has a level advantage, balancing rewards with the risks taken. And victory points should be halved again if an attack on a neighbor is made using the *Auto-Play* feature. Why reward the player for letting the computer play for him/her?

 

[DeletedUser105078]

A BIG +1 from me

You have my full support, Frig. I've recently lost a few good guild-mates and friends, who've quit the game because they got fed up with being plundered.

I think the whole plunder system is broken; all it does, is allow a few bullies to have fun at the expense of the majority. In most worlds I'm in (and I play in 10) there's less than a handful of plunderers in any neighbourhood, but they can ruin the game for everyone else. There are so many people starting the game and quitting, and so many inactive accounts... I know, because I've tried sending friend and guild requests to people in the Global listing, and I get less than 5% response. However you look at it, plundering might be fun for some people who like plundering, but it's no fun for people who are plundered. Why can't plunderers understand that? Why do people play a game? Isn't in order to have fun? So what do you do when you don't have fun any more? Well, of course, you quit. How does that help Inno? They would have heaps more players if they fixed the plundering system.

What I've done when I've been plundered systematically is disconnect my roads and left a note in my profile to say that I've stopped playing in that particular world due to repeated plundering by XXX. If I have GBs or other buildings that can't be plundered (like wishing wells), I leave them connected. Then I log in twice a day to collect FPs and put them into the GBs of friends. Meanwhile, until the neighbourhood improves, I play in my other worlds.

I had to laugh when plunderers accused me of being childish for disconnecting my roads, lol. They obviously don't like it, because if everyone disconnected their roads they would have no fun any more!

Personally, I find quite enough fun in the game without needing to plunder. I get a lot more enjoyment out of helping friends and guild-mates. And I also enjoy fighting my way through the map. The battle strategy in FOE is excellent, and fighting armies that are one age or more above you is a nice challenge. At first, I used to attack my neighbourhood just to get medals, but now it's no longer worth it, because it would take too many medals for an expansion. When I did attack, I never plundered, however much nice stuff there was for the taking. It was that person's stuff, not mine.

Many who plunder seem to want to blame the victim for not being strong enough or fast enough to prevent them from plundering. It is very simple: plunderers plunder when and where they can. It isn't the victim's fault, only his fate.

Well said, tr1952. Plunderers like to tell you that this is not real life, that it's just a game, so deal with it. Interesting, though, how similar the inter-personal mechanics are to real life! Have you ever heard criminals being interviewed, and saying that it was all the victim's fault? Mind, I'm not saying plunderers are criminal, just that the mindset of blaming the "injured" party seems to be a common human feature. Hence the saying, "to add insult to injury".

Which is probably why that other famous saying was invented "the more I know my neighbour, the more I love my dog".

 

[DeletedUser99588]

Why have you chosen to play a game that has a war/plunder element to it when you are clearly incapable of coming to terms with it? Surely there are other games out there more suitable to your needs. If plundering was a new introduction to the game I could sympathise with your argument but from what I can gather it has been part of the game from the early days.

You may wish to consider what victims of real crime may feel when you try and compare the actions of plundering in this game to those that have actually been on the receiving end of crime in real life. It really isn't comparable as anything that happens in this game is a mere inconvenience and you have been putting far to much weight on it.

Those players that choose to leave the game because of plundering have made the right decision and have realised this isn't the game for them. That is why there are so many games out there to cater for players who enjoy different things. Many of those players you mention you have tried contacting will have left the game for various reasons and you cannot assume it is down to plundering. There will be numerous reasons for quitting the game and plundering will be just one of many.

I'm not a proliferate plunderer but do believe it is a core element to the game and the developers have been quite generous to the defending city that it can be easily countered by collecting resources on time. It is most likely going to be even easier now there are apps for both Apple and Android devices allowing players to make collections on the move.

Embrace the game and learn strategies to overcome the hurdles it throws at you. Even disconnecting your city is a strategy albeit one that is detrimental to your own progress and really won't worry the attacker. Nevertheless if that works for you then it is the right thing to do.

 

[DeletedUser105078]

You may wish to consider what victims of real crime may feel when you try and compare the actions of plundering in this game to those that have actually been on the receiving end of crime in real life.

I purposely wrote: Mind, I'm not saying plunderers are criminal, just that the mindset of blaming the "injured" party seems to be a common human feature.

Does that translate to you as comparing the actions of plundering in this game to real crime? Are we speaking the same language??

 

[DeletedUser99588]

Have you ever heard criminals being interviewed, and saying that it was all the victim's fault? Mind, I'm not saying plunderers are criminal, just that the mindset of blaming the "injured" party seems to be a common human feature. Hence the saying, "to add insult to injury".

You forgot to include your first sentence in the quote you provided. The one where you compare criminals blaming victims. That is insinuating that plunderers actions are of similar nature when they are not as plundering is not only within the rules of the game it is a feature of it.

However, if that is not what you meant then fair enough I interpreted it incorrectly. If that is the case we do not need to see the words criminal or victim in future posts as this is a game not real life.

We may have winners and losers with regards to battles and spoils of war going to the winners. That is the game you have chosen to play and it is time except it. As I have said previously, embrace each element of the game and develop strategies to overcome the hurdles it puts in your way. Whether that is plundering, city planning, goods production, GB's to build, GB's to target for leveling and all the other things that make up the game.

 

[DeletedUser105078]

Yes, what I was referring to was the mindset of the winner blaming the loser. It was a general comment about the nature of the human mind. I mentioned it because the parallel was striking: the uberdog blaming the underdog. It might be in a war between nations, it might be in a criminal case, it might be in a private quarrel, it might be in a game. In animals, they attack you if they smell fear. It's just one of the less attractive aspects of life. And I do apologise if I went off-topic with this comment.

The fact is, I'm not suggesting to remove plundering from the game, although I'd still enjoy it even if there were no plundering at all. However, a bit of "fair" plundering is no big deal... I've been plundered a few times by people a similar age to me, and I've just plundered back once, and they've stopped. I still don't like it, but I can live with it; all the fun aspects of the game make up for a bit of "fair" plundering.

The problem is "unfair" plundering, when you have unbalanced neighbourhoods with people of different ages. Exactly the situation Frig is in.

So that's what needs resolving to make the game more enjoyable for a larger number of players.

1) No more being able to systematically plunder lower-age players;
2) No more plundering of beginners.

I'm sure there are lots of possible solutions; quite a few have been suggested at different times. This is what I would like to see:

1) When you attack a city, you can only use troops that are the same age as that city - this is similar to what happens in GvG. I think this would be the best and fairest solution, and it would make the game much more interesting. People who really like fighting can then have a proper challenge. At the moment, the plunderers aren't necessarily good fighters, they're just taking advantage of a game imbalance.

2) There should be a protection set up for new players, as there is in most games, where they cannot be attacked while they are below a certain number of points.